Contempt of Contemporary Love Poets

Contemporary love poets invariably have to contend with some degree of contempt directed towards them and their contemporary love poetry in every era, including the present one.

This phenomenon is not unique to contemporary love poets, as most literary artists seem to meet with some degree of contempt from others, who do not know or appreciate  the value of their work, understand their intense passion for writing, or accept their career choices.

Writing contemporary love poetry is often regarded by many as an unnecessary indulgence, a total waste of time or an unrealistic flight into fantasy.

It is a career choice that many parents do not want their children to follow because they did not, or could not because their forefathers did not place any value on it. Many feel that writing contemporary love poetry is unrealistic as a financially feasible lifestyle to pursue, even at the present.

Part of the problem lies in the reality that globally, the majority of the population is relatively poorly educated and literary appreciation, or more specifically appreciation of contemporary love poetry, is not necessarily part of their academic upbringing. The same is true with respect to other literary appreciation, or even appreciation of art of various kinds.

For many, their survival is often dependent upon developing a strong work ethic that does not allow time for reading, or writing contemporary love poetry.

Even those engaged in other academic pursuits, may not be particularly inclined towards reading or writing contemporary love poetry in its multiplicity of manifestations, or even other literary or artistic pursuits.

At times, contempt hurled at contemporary love poets may be deserved, for example if their contemporary love poetry is less than socially acceptable in accordance with the norms of the day. At times, it may seem too romantic or idealistic to be accepted. It may also have powerful overtones of religion.

At the same time, the same hurlers of contempt may accept contemporary love poetry that focuses on nature, its beauty or other values that they hold in high esteem. Contemporary love poetry written for children may also be accepted or even welcomed, as it serves a purpose. If it is written for music, it may also be accepted.

When there is obvious contempt of contemporary love poetry, the contemporary love poet may enter into relative seclusion, or seek to be isolated from others. He or she will likely enjoy the inspiration of his or her muse and celebrate its outpouring of love and truth quietly and secretly. Thus, many works by contemporary love poets can remain unpublished or undisclosed to others, including family or friends, for many years.

At the same time, the message that contemporary love poetry can convey may be lost, at least temporarily. It may be many eras before those truths are discovered or uncovered again. Then, it may be the critics of contemporary love poetry, literary historians or other readers that bring a revelation to light.

There is no recourse for a contemporary love poet who flounders because of the contempt of others, but to withdraw from their presence. His or her life may depend upon it in many different situations, or in different eras. His or her quality of life may also be affected adversely by it.

Love can overcome contempt, but that requires time and patience. Meanwhile, the contemporary love poet continues to write on, in spite of contempt from others, because he or she recognizes the merit of his or her contemporary love poetry.